Afghanistan: Military Equipment

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the protection afforded by the Vector vehicle to United Kingdom troops serving in Afghanistan.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The Vector light protected patrol vehicle is used in a variety of roles in theatre and has been subject to detailed technical assessment. I cannot comment on the levels of protection afforded by the vehicle, as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Agriculture: Pesticides

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whom they consulted in respect of the European Union Regulation for the Placing of Plant Protection Products on the Market.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government consulted a wide range of stakeholders on proposals for the new regulation, and the consultation documents were made publicly available for comment on the website of the Pesticides Safety Directorate. A full list of consultees to whom the consultation was sent is available on the directorate's website at www.pesticides.gov.uk/environment.asp?id=1941.

Agriculture: Pesticides

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the precautionary principle was exercised in their deliberations upon the European Union Regulation for the Placing of Plant Protection Products on the Market; and, if so, why they opposed the removal of the most hazardous pesticides, including those which are carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government welcome most of the new regulation and are not opposed to the introduction of hazard criteria for substances which are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction. The Government cannot, however, support the regulation because of the uncertainty regarding the impact of the hazard criterion for potential human endocrine disrupters. This provision is likely to have a detrimental agronomic impact, but in the absence of an impact assessment or of a definition of endocrine disruption for these purposes, it is impossible to judge whether there will be any positive benefit accruing from this element of the regulation.

Armed Forces: Belize

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their plans for Airport Camp, Belize.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: There are no plans to close the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB). While the type and level of training at BATSUB has changed in recent months, a review of light force battle group overseas training found that there was a continued requirement to train there.

Armed Forces: Expenditure

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider reducing defence expenditure in view of pressure on the public finances and debt ratios.

Lord Myners: The Government set out their plans for public spending in the Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2007. The next update on the UK fiscal position will be at the 2009 Budget. It will set out how we are supporting the economy in the short term whilst ensuring that the public finances remain on a sustainable path in the medium term.

Asylum Seekers: Legal Advice

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to draw conclusions from the Solihull pilot project providing legal advice to asylum applicants from the first interview onwards; whether they will publish a report; and when this project may be extended to other places.

Lord West of Spithead: The Government are keen to look at the benefits of providing early legal advice to asylum applicants but need to be sure that those benefits do not affect our ability to conclude asylum decisions swiftly or have unwelcome costs implications for the system. The conclusions of the report on the pilot are incomplete and limited and make it difficult to draw any firm conclusions about nationwide implementation of the process. It is proposed to run an expanded version of the pilot later in the year to allow for fuller, accurate analysis from which we can draw conclusions.
	The report has been released to a number of stakeholders, and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of both Houses.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the tender document recently sent to bailiff companies in respect of the renewal of the contracts with HM Court Service for the recovery of outstanding court fines.

Lord Bach: A copy of the tender documents sent to private bailiff companies who were invited to tender for the enforcement contracts with Her Majesty's Courts Service will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Banking

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether deposits made with banks in which the Government have a majority shareholding are guaranteed without limit by the Government.

Lord Myners: The Government have a majority shareholding in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Group. FSCS-eligible deposits in RBS Group banking subsidiaries are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to the usual limit of £50,000. The Government have not made any alternative arrangements.

Banking

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to require the banks in which they have a controlling interest to make contact by their clients more accessible and branch-based.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to require those banks in which they have a controlling interest to review their charges to individual clients.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will require banks in which they have shareholdings to serve United Kingdom customers by staff employed and paying taxes in the United Kingdom.

Lord Myners: These are matters for the management of the banks in question. UK Financial Investments Limited (UKFI), an arm's-length company wholly owned by the Government, has been set up to manage the Government's investments on a commercial basis. Its overarching objectives will be to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, with due regard to financial stability and acting in a way that promotes competition. It will not intervene in the day-to-day management decisions of the banks of which it is a shareholder.

Banking: Bad Banks

Lord Barnett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of banks' toxic assets for possible inclusion in a bad bank.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the creation of a bad bank.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how a bad bank's assets would be rationed.

Lord Myners: On 19 January, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced further measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. This included plans for the asset protection scheme, the details of which were announced on 26 February.
	The purpose of the asset protection scheme is to restore confidence in the banks by protecting them against exposure to exceptional future credit losses on certain portfolios of assets. It is therefore aimed at tackling a similar problem to that which a good bank/bad bank scheme would tackle and requires much the same process in terms of identification of assets.
	Furthermore, the scheme provides for the Treasury to take over the management of the assets covered by the scheme or to appoint an appropriate third party to do so in certain circumstances. These include instances in which participants have been unable to meet the detailed asset management requirements the Treasury has set or where there would be significant implications for the public finances of not doing so. The Treasury may also agree with the institution at a later date to purchase assets protected by the scheme.
	The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and the Lloyds Banking Group (Lloyds) announced their intention to participate in the asset protection scheme (APS) on 26 February and 7 March respectively. RBS and Lloyds intend to protect £325 billion and £260 billion of eligible assets respectively. The banks will pay to the Treasury, in capital, a participation fee of £6.5 billion and £15.6 billion respectively. The agreement will mean that, in the event of a loss, RBS will bear a first loss after existing impairments of up to £19.5 billion, and Lloyds will bear a first loss after existing impairments of up to £25 billion. Thereafter, losses will be borne 90 per cent by the Treasury and 10 per cent by banks.
	RBS has also agreed not to claim certain UK tax losses and allowances for a number of years, meaning that, when it returns to profitability, it will not be able to benefit from the losses accrued in the intervening period.

Banking: Bank of Scotland (Ireland)

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 16 March (WA 1) concerning the loan book of the Bank of Scotland (Ireland) Belfast branch, which organisation was responsible for the regulation and control of this bank branch; and how it was carried out.

Lord Myners: The Bank of Scotland (Ireland) Belfast branch has operations in the UK within Northern Ireland which operate as branches passported into the UK from Ireland, in accordance with European legislation.
	Branches of Bank of Scotland (Ireland) Ltd are regulated chiefly by the Irish financial regulator. The regulator publishes information on its supervisory processes which is accessible at www.financialregulator.ie.

Beavers

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what risk assessment they have undertaken on proposals to reintroduce beavers into England; what costs are involved; and what assessment they have made of the possible decline in the well-being of existing wildlife.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The results of a joint scientific study into the desirability and feasibility of reintroducing the European beaver to England were published on 18 March 2009 by Natural England and the People's Trust for Endangered Species.
	The report considers the impacts that a beaver reintroduction might have and the conditions under which a reintroduction could be made. It concludes that the costs of mitigating damage caused by beavers are likely to be low relative to the economic benefits of the ecosystem services which they may provide, such as assisting with river and floodplain restoration. It identified the need for a full cost-benefit analysis as part of the planning stage of any beaver reintroduction programme. Reintroductions elsewhere in Europe may also provide valuable evidence on issues that need to be considered.
	The report also includes an assessment of the likely impact of a reintroduction of beavers on British plants and animals, concluding that for all the taxa studied, including plants, invertebrates, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals, there are likely to be biodiversity gains, mainly arising from the creation of more diverse and naturally functioning habitats.
	I will arrange for a copy of the report to be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	Natural England has not made any decisions yet about whether reintroductions of beavers should take place in England. In considering whether to license a reintroduction programme we would expect Natural England to take account of the applicable International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines, and to consider the views of interested parties. Natural England would also need to be satisfied that the reintroduction would not have a significant adverse impact on natural or semi-natural habitats, native wildlife or socio-economic interests and that measures could be put in place to deal with any unforeseen problems, should they occur.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 11 March (WA 247) concerning equality as a human right under the Belfast agreement of 1998, whether they monitor the human rights implications of the agreement in the Republic of Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is no formal mechanism in the Belfast agreement for monitoring the progress of each Government other than the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. Human Rights issues have been discussed within this forum, both at ministerial and official level.

Belize

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their current aid projects to Belize; and what are the value of such projects.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The UK supports a number of projects in Belize. Recent financial assistance has focused on the resolution of the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala. A total of £500,000 was allocated to this from the Government's conflict prevention pool during financial year 2008-2009 for projects in both Belize and Guatemala. Our High Commission in Belmopan has committed an additional £20,000 in financial year 2008-2009 to projects relating to climate change issues, human rights and intercultural exchange with Guatemala.
	Further to bilateral funding, Belize also benefits from EU aid and financial support. Belize has been allocated €11.8 million from the European Development Fund for 2008-2013, focusing largely on rural development. During the period from 2006 to 2010, Belize, as a Sugar Protocol country, is expected to receive a total of €48.2 million from the EU in order to help improve the efficiency of cane production, processing and economic diversification. From 1999 to 2008, Belize has received a further €27.7 million to help modernise its banana production industry.

Bloody Sunday: Inquiry

Lord Mayhew of Twysden: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 23 February (WA 9), what are the individual measures referred to which have been agreed with the Bloody Sunday inquiry to minimise the remaining costs; and how much each of the individual measures is expected to save.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Office has worked intensively with the inquiry to develop a package of measures to minimise remaining costs, reducing expected final cost to £190 million. Work to identify cost-saving measures will continue for the duration of the inquiry. However, key measures already identified and agreed include:
	closure of the inquiry's office in Northern Ireland, which will deliver average savings on rent, security, service charges and rates in the region of £13,000 per month for the remainder of the inquiry's life span;
	renegotiation of the rent for the inquiry's office in London, which should result in average savings in the region of £34,000 per month for the remainder of the inquiry's life span; and
	reduction and renegotiation of IT services for the remainder of the inquiry, which should result in average savings in the region of £31,000 per month for the remainder of the inquiry's life span.

China: Demonstrators

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government why, as reported in the Daily Express on 12 March, a Tibetan demonstrator holding up a placard opposing the Government of the visiting Chinese Prime Minister was removed by the police.

Lord West of Spithead: I cannot comment on the report in the Daily Express of 12 March. Actions taken by the police during demonstrations are operational matters for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Citizenship

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Minister for the Third Sector, Kevin Brennan, on 17 March (Official Report, House of Commons, cols. 1062W—63W), what definition of "volunteering" was used by the Government's Citizenship Survey in making estimates of the numbers of adults aged 16 and above who had volunteered at least once in the previous 12 months.

Baroness Andrews: The Citizenship Survey definition of formal volunteering is "Giving unpaid help through groups, clubs or organisations to benefit other people or the environment". This definition encompasses those who have given unpaid help through any UK groups, clubs or organisations via the following activities: raising or handling money/taking part in sponsored events; leading the group/member of a committee; organising or helping run an activity or event; visiting people; befriending or mentoring people; giving advice/driving; representing; campaigning; other practical help (such as helping out at school); and any other help. It excludes giving money and activities related to job requirements.

Crime: Lethal Weapons

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government which persons or categories of persons are allowed to carry lethal weapons in public places.

Lord West of Spithead: It is an offence to carry a lethal weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse which is determined according to the weapon in question and the particular legislation governing its use.

Crime: Organised Crime

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have regarding the process of seizing assets funded by crime.

Lord West of Spithead: The seizure of assets that are the proceeds of crime is a key priority for the Government. Over £500 million of assets have been recovered since the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 came into force. We are giving the police and other bodies new powers in the Policing and Crime Bill to enable them to seize and detain property at the earliest opportunity, subject to judicial oversight, to prevent criminals trying to hide it or otherwise dispose of it in anticipation of a confiscation order. We are also giving the authorities powers to sell seized property to satisfy a confiscation order.
	These new measures will help to further disrupt criminal activity and improve enforcement of confiscation orders.

Cyprus

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many troops of each of the Guarantor Powers are in Cyprus; and how many troops Greece and Turkey are allowed to have in Cyprus in accordance with the Treaty of Guarantee.

Lord Malloch-Brown: There are no government estimates of the number of Turkish or Greek troops in Cyprus and we have no means of independently estimating this number. There are currently some 3,400 UK Armed Forces personnel based in Cyprus. There is no mention of troop numbers in the Treaty of Guarantee.

Data Entry

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 25 February (WA 86-87), whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has set an overall standard for errors in data entry and processing; and, if so, what is that standard.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Data entry is subject to a control framework comprising system-based validations and/or manual quality checks. Data quality is measured against targets or standards set for the system or application in question.
	Defra uses a range of national and international agreed or recognised standards to record data in an appropriate way. The department does not have a complete central record of all of the standards being used. This could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.

Deen International

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government when Deen International, the group heading the "I Am The West" campaign, was established; who are its board members; and how much funding they have received to date.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Deen International is a private organisation. Details of the date it was established and its board members can be obtained by contacting its office at R A Business Park, Charlotte Street, Dudley, West Midlands DY1 lTD.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is currently collaborating with Deen International on a pilot project with the working title "I am Muslim. I am British" (formerly "I am the West"), for which it has received £495,021 funding to date from the FCO. The aim of the "I am Muslim. I am British" pilot is to reduce the likelihood of radicalisation among young people in Pakistan by helping to dispel anti-western attitudes in vulnerable communities. This is being achieved through a series of poster campaigns using high-profile British Muslims, television and radio discussions, and "town hall" meetings in Peshawar, Mirpur and surrounding towns. It aims to stimulate a debate on life in the UK, demonstrating that UK society is not "anti-Islamic" and dispelling the misconceptions generated by the al-Qaeda narrative that the West is against Islam.

Energy

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their investment in solar power, anaerobic digesters and biofuels will be included in the proposed infrastructure programme.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Our renewable energy policy supports solar power, anaerobic digestion and biofuels through a range of measures including capital grants, the renewables obligation and the renewable transport fuel obligation. The level of support for solar power and AD under the renewables obligation will be doubling from 1 April. We will be publishing our renewable energy strategy later this year, setting out our overall policy framework for driving up use of renewable technologies in the light of our 2020 targets and wider energy and climate change goals.

Energy: Nuclear Power

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to announce their choices for the locations of the next generation of nuclear power stations.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We expect to include a list of suitable sites in the nuclear national policy statement (NPS). We expect to consult on a draft nuclear national policy statement, including this list, by autumn 2009. The Nuclear NPS will also be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Energy: Wind Farms

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional renewable energy sources will arise from full implementation of the windfarm tender schemes awarded by the Crown Estates Commissioners.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Crown Estate's round 3 of offshore wind farm leasing, launched in June 2008, will deliver up to 25 gigawatts of capacity. This is in addition to the 8 gigawatts already built or planned under rounds 1 and 2. Development within the proposed round 3 zones is subject to the outcome of DECC's ongoing offshore energy strategic environmental assessment (SEA). DECC is currently consulting on the SEA environmental report, which will inform the Secretary of State's decision on the implementation of the draft plan for up to 25 gigawatts of new capacity. This draft plan applies to English and Welsh territorial waters and the renewable energy zone (UK waters outside 12 nautical miles).
	In February 2009, the Crown Estate announced it would offer exclusivity agreements to nine companies and consortia for 10 offshore wind sites within Scottish territorial waters, with a total capacity of almost 6.5 gigawatts. Development of the sites is subject to the Scottish Government's strategic environmental assessment (SEA) within Scottish territorial waters. The decision to undertake an SEA was formally announced by the Scottish Government on 23 January 2009.

Equality

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 10 March (WA 228), whether the beliefs expressed in respect of equality apply to Northern Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Northern Ireland has its own separate jurisdiction on matters of equality and discrimination. It will be for the Northern Ireland Administration to determine how to take these issues forward in Northern Ireland.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Equality and Human Rights Commission did not carry out an equality impact assessment, as required by all public bodies, prior to making 50 people redundant from its helpline service based in Manchester.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is in consultation with trade unions and staff on a proposal to reorganise its helpline service. In line with best practice, a full equality impact assessment is being carried out to inform the final decision to be taken later this year. At this point, no staff have been made redundant, nor has the commission issued any redundancy notices.

EU: Economic Recovery Plan

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes they anticipate in the final list of European Commission projects to be selected by COREPER in the euro economic recovery plan for decision at the General Affairs Council on 16 March; and whether the United Kingdom will be affected by any adjustments.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Following constructive discussions at the Committee of the Permanent Representatives (COREPER) and the General Affairs Council, the €5 billion package of energy and broadband infrastructure projects was agreed at the spring European Council on 19 and 20 March 2009. Agreement on this package represents a good outcome for the UK, as it includes around €265 million (£237 million) of additional investment for UK energy projects—electricity interconnection, offshore wind and carbon capture and storage—and for the provision of broadband infrastructure in rural areas.
	The final list includes the following amounts for projects based in the UK:
	€180 million for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project;€40 million for an Aberdeen offshore wind testing centre;€165 million shared between 7 MS for North Sea Offshore Grid connections; and€110 million for a Wales-Ireland interconnection project.
	The UK will also receive a share of €1.l billion of funding for broadband infrastructure in rural areas as part of a separate proposal channelled through common agricultural policy Pillar 2 (rural development).

EU: Rural Development

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the annual allocations for support for rural development from European Union funds to member states in each year from 2007-13; what was the annual average at 1999 prices; and what percentage was used to calculate each state's allocation.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The most recent details on the annual allocations for rural development to member states are set out in Commission decision 14/2009 of 17 December 2008, copies of which have been laid in the Library of the House.
	Details on the annual average at 1999 prices are not available. Allocations under the Rural Development Programme 2007-13 are provided by the Commission in 2004 prices and in current prices only.
	Member states' rural development programme allocations are not calculated on a simple percentage basis, but are constructed from a number of separate elements:
	the original budget for the Rural Development Programme 2007-13 was agreed by the European Council in December 2005. The future financing text set out that, for the financial perspective 2007-13, the EU10 plus Bulgaria and Romania should receive a minimum €33 billion under the European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD)—ie, the fund for common agricultural policy (CAP) Pillar 2;a share of the remaining €18.91 billion for EAFRD was allocated to EU15 member states, largely on the basis of historic receipts, though some member states received additional allocations; andthe third element of the EAFRD budget was transfers from the structural funds part of the EU budget, reflecting the mainstreaming of leader and convergence funding (which replaced the Objective 1 programme) into rural development support. Allocations for this were determined by each member state after consultation with the Commission, drawing on the historical percentages of expenditure in these areas during the period 2000-06.
	In addition, EU15 member states receive receipts arising from the compulsory modulation of direct payments under Pillar 1 of the CAP, which are distributed in accordance with the 2003 CAP reform agreement.
	EU15 member states may also choose to apply voluntary modulation. In the case of those member states which do so (UK and Portugal), the receipts are allocated on the basis of the rates of voluntary modulation set by the member states.

Flooding

Lord Colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 23 January (WA 238), following the flooding in July 2007, which (a) local authorities, (b) individual property owners, and (c) other organisations received money from the Pitt fund and other budgets; and for what projects.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Annexe B to the Government's response to Sir Michael Pitt's review of the 2007 floods sets out where additional funding will be provided to take forward particular recommendations. In addition to the details provided in the annexe:
	The Secretary of State announced on 17 December 2008 that six local authorities would be the first to be funded by Defra to prepare surface water management plans. These are: Hull, Gloucestershire, Leeds, Warrington, Richmond upon Thames and West Berkshire, which will share £300,000. These and other English country and unitary authorities in the highest priority areas for surface water management will share a further £14.7 million over the next two years on top of other budgets already available to them. Further announcements will be made in due course.
	No individual property owners have as yet received money to implement individual property resistance and resilience measures from the funding announced as part of the Government's response to the Pitt review. A total of £5 million for this purpose will be allocated via local authorities between now and March 2011. Applications from local authorities to receive a proportion of the first £2 million to be granted are due by 25 March 2009. The new grant scheme follows a £500,000 feasibility study completed in 2008.
	Three projects in Somerset, North Yorkshire and Derbyshire will receive a total of £1 million from Defra to demonstrate how natural processes and land management techniques can help protect against flooding. The three successful projects are:
	Holnicote Estate, near Minehead in Somerset—project managed by the National Trust;Pickering Beck and River Seven, near Pickering, North Yorkshire—project managed by Forest Research; andUpper Derwent Valley, Derbyshire—project managed by the Environment Agency.

Fluoridation

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 11 February (WA 190), why Southampton Primary Care Trust's view that it had adequately explored alternatives to water fluoridation sufficed to preclude setting out alternatives in a public consultation in conformity with the Cabinet Office guidelines referred to.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Southampton Primary Care Trust gave fuller details of the alternative measures it had tried to improve oral health in its presentation to the Board of South Central Strategic Health Authority on 26 February. They included promotion of healthy eating in nursery and school settings; promotion of drinking water in schools; distribution of free fluoride toothpaste and toothbrushes to 0-5 year-olds in priority areas; working with general practitioners and pharmacists to encourage the prescription and dispensing of sugar-free medicines; initiatives such as "Chuck Sweets off the Checkout"; training and resources for local dental teams to ensure correct health messages are given; promotion of use of fluoride varnish applications and fissure sealants and working with local healthcare professionals to promote oral health.
	None of these measures proved successful in reducing inequalities in oral health.

Food: Labelling

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is making on its proposals for animal welfare descriptions on food and animal products sold in United Kingdom shops.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A report from the European Commission on options for animal welfare labelling is due to be produced later this year. This builds on the commitment in the EU Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010 to the introduction of standardised welfare indicators, an EU-wide welfare labelling scheme and the creation of an animal welfare reference centre. The aim is to facilitate the choice of consumers between products obtained with basic welfare standards or with some "higher" standards. If it is to be effective in raising welfare standards, a welfare labelling scheme must be simple and transparent, with information provided in a standardised form across the EU.

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the Government of Israel concerning the Israeli air force's strike on the premises of the Gaza community mental health programme.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Israeli Government are currently carrying out a number of investigations on allegations, made by credible sources, of violation of international humanitarian law during Operation Cast Lead. We await the outcomes of these investigations before we decide whether to take further action.

Guantanamo Bay

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have agreed to offer Great Britain as a place of humanitarian protection for detainees released from Guantanamo Bay; if so, how many places are to be made available; and how the individuals concerned are being identified.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We have already secured the release and return of 14 individuals from Guantanamo Bay. The decision to request release and return is restricted to UK nationals and those previously legally resident in the UK. The US Government have not agreed our request for the release and return of Mr Shaker Aamer to the UK but we have made clear to the US that our request still stands should its position change. There are no plans to make representations on behalf of any other detainees. However, we will continue to share our experience in accepting the transfer of former Guantanamo detainees with our European partners and others to help support the closure of the detention facility.

Health: Drugs

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent last year on public education campaigns to promote responsible use of antibiotics; and, following the Chief Medical Officer's warning of inappropriate use, whether they intend to increase this amount.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government spent approximately £1,600,000 in 2008-09 on public education campaigns to promote responsible use of antibiotics. The budget for 2009-10 has not been finalised as plans for the 2009-10 campaign are still being developed.

Health: Drugs

Lord Pilkington of Oxenford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that the Parkinson's disease drug Midodrine is prescribed uniformly across Somerset and across England.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Midodrine is not licensed for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and its prescribing is therefore a matter for clinicians on an individual patient basis.

Higher Education

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students who attended educational establishments in the City of Manchester went on to higher education courses in each of the past five years.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: The number of entrants to higher education courses who are from Manchester local authority is given in the table.
	
		
			 Entrants(1) to Higher Education from Manchester Local Authority (2) UK Higher Education Institutions (3) Academic Years 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			 Academic Year Entrants 
			 2003-04 5,810 
			 2004-05 5,740 
			 2005-06 6,290 
			 2006-07 5,675 
			 2007-08 5,760 
		
	
	Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
	Notes: Figures are on a HESA Standard Registration Population (SRP) basis. Numbers are rounded to the nearest five.
	(1) Entrants to undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
	(2) Local Authority is defined by full and valid home postcodes.
	(3) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in its coding of entrants over the time series.

House of Lords: Life Peers

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 12 March (WA 274) on the appointment of party-political life peers, what are the overall numbers referred to; and what is the proportion of these for each political party.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: It is for the Prime Minister to determine the number of party-political life Peers to be offered to each of the political parties.

Housing

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the provision of affordable housing in the City of Manchester.

Baroness Andrews: Manchester City Council has adopted a target of securing 20 per cent of affordable housing in all new housing schemes involving 15 or more dwellings or on sites of 0.3 hectares or larger.
	Registered social landlords have been allocated £33.8 million under the Housing and Community Agency's National Affordable Housing programme 2007-11 main bidding round to deliver 784 homes within Manchester. There is the possibility of additional resources being allocated later.
	The Government's decision to give housing growth point status to Manchester will further increase the opportunity to build affordable housing within the city.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the promotion of equality is a human right in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is nothing further I can add to the Answer given to the noble Lord on 24 February 2009 (Official Report, cols. WA 63-64).

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 13 March (WA 287), whether human rights in the Republic of Ireland were considered when they agreed the Belfast Agreement of 1998.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Human rights in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were considered (paragraph 9, page 17, Chapter "Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity") when the Belfast agreement of 1998 was agreed.

Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have ever intervened in individual proceedings in the European Court of Human Rights in support of an applicant's submissions.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not have records of all the third-party interventions ever made by the Government in cases before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
	The FCO is not aware of the Government ever having made an intervention pursuant to Article 36(1) ECHR.
	With regard to third-party interventions made pursuant to Article 36(2) ECHR in the last three years, I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 11 March 2009 (Official Report, col. WA257).
	In cases when it invites third parties to intervene pursuant to Article 36(2) ECHR it is the court's general practice to specify that such interventions should not include any comments on the facts or merits of the case, but address only those aspects of it which concern the Government's particular interest in the matter.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Davies of Oldham on 13 March (WA 287) and Lord Malloch-Brown on 23 March (WA 97) concerning human rights in the Republic of Ireland, what arrangements they have for monitoring human rights in that country.

Lord Malloch-Brown: There are no formal arrangements for monitoring human rights in Ireland by other EU member states. However, human rights issues are discussed at ministerial and official level during meetings of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, established in 1999.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 23 March (WA 97) concerning human rights in the Republic of Ireland, whether, in developing their foreign policy with regard to the Republic of Ireland, they consider whether the Republic complies with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The promotion of human rights and democracy is integral to the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and human rights issues are discussed during meetings of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. However, the question as to whether Ireland complies with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a matter for the UN.

Immigration: Deportation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost of deporting an illegal immigrant.

Lord West of Spithead: It is not possible to provide a comprehensive figure for the average cost of a removal or deportation because there are many different factors which may or may not be involved in the cost of a case, such as detention costs, travel costs and the cost of escorting the individual in question. We are unable to disaggregate the specific costs, and any attempt to do so would incur disproportionate cost. However, the National Audit Office (NAO) gives a breakdown of the cost of typical asylum cases in 2007-08 in part four of its report The Home Office: Management of Asylum Applications by the UK Border Agency, which was published on 23 January 2009.
	The table on page 36 of the report sets out 12 typical profiles and the lower- to upper-end estimate of costs either excluding or including accommodation and support costs. For example, profile four estimates the cost of a case resulting in the enforced removal of a single, undetained adult after he or she has exhausted their appeal rights as being between £7,900 and £17,000 excluding accommodation and support or £12,000 and £25,600 including accommodation and support. This report is available to view at the following website at www.nao.org.uk/pubications/0809/management_ of_asylum_appl.aspx. However, the UK Border Agency aims to ensure removals are effected at the lowest available rate subject to operational needs.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many illegal immigrants are detained in immigration detention centres in the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: National statistics on persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis are published quarterly. This information is published in tables 9 to 11 of the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom bulletins, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's research, development and statistics website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html. It is not possible to say, within these statistics, how many of the detainees are illegal immigrants.
	Individuals may be detained in immigration removal centres in the following circumstances: initially, while identity and basis of claim are established; where there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person will fail to comply with the conditions of temporary admission or release; as part of a fast-track asylum process; or to effect removal from the UK.

Immigration: France

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of France regarding its intention to establish camps for refugees and immigrants on the coast near Calais.

Lord West of Spithead: Phil Woolas met with Eric Besson, the French Minister for Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Solidarity-based Development, on 11 February 2009. Both Ministers reiterated their opposition to any sort of reception centre which might act as a magnet for illegal immigrants, traffickers and smugglers.

Immigration: France

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been advised whether any information will be provided at the proposed camps for refugees and immigrants near Calais regarding the seeking of asylum in the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: Phil Woolas met with Eric Besson, the French Minister for Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Solidarity-based Development, on 11 February 2009.
	Both Ministers reiterated their opposition to any sort of reception centre which might act as a magnet for illegal immigrants, traffickers and smugglers. The French and UK authorities work directly and with local organisations in the Calais region to ensure illegal immigrants are informed of their options. This includes the option to return home voluntarily or claim asylum in France as well as information on the dangers involved in pursuing clandestine entry to the UK.

Immigration: France

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many illegal immigrants who have been detained entering the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel since the closure of the French Red Cross centre at Sangatte have since been removed.

Lord West of Spithead: This information could only be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed and departed voluntarily from the UK, on a quarterly and annual basis. National statistics on immigration and asylum are placed in the Library of the House and are available from the Home Office's research, development and statistics website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Lord Tope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London about the impact of Part 1 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill on their activities; what responses they received; and whether they will place the responses in the Library of the House.

Baroness Andrews: Officials from the Department of Communities and Local Government, GLA, Transport for London and the London Development Agency met on 26 of February 2009 to discuss various parts of the LDEDC Bill and have since provided further clarification and reassurance on specific provisions.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether under Clause 16(4) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill a principal local authority could interpret "relevant officer" as meaning any officer of the authority.

Baroness Andrews: Neither the drafting of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill nor Ministers' comments suggest that principal local authorities should feel obliged to interpret "relevant officer" under Clause 16(4) the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill as meaning any officer of the authority. It would be open to principal local authorities under Clause 16(4) to specify in their petition scheme that any officer is a "relevant officer". However, the Government do not expect that authorities would choose to specify in their schemes that junior staff are "relevant officers" who would be required to give evidence under Clause 16.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Lord Tope: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an officer appearing before an overview and scrutiny committee as a result of a petition submitted in accordance with Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill may be accompanied or represented by a legal adviser, trade union representative, member of the local authority, or other person.

Baroness Andrews: Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill builds on the existing practice whereby overview and scrutiny committees can require officers to attend a meeting of the committee to give evidence. The function of these meetings is to scrutinise matters relating to the delivery of services by local authorities; they are not a forum for disciplinary proceedings. Principal local authorities' existing procedures in relation to officers' attendance at overview and scrutiny meetings would therefore apply. In some circumstances, these may entitle the officer to be accompanied or represented by a legal adviser, trade union representative, member of the local authority or other person.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Lord Tope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps a local authority will be required to take if a petition is submitted calling for an officer to be held to account under Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill when that officer has since been seconded to the regional development agency for the region in which the local authority is based.

Baroness Andrews: If a secondee remains an officer of a local authority notwithstanding their secondment, they can be required to give evidence under Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill. The overview and scrutiny committee could invite an individual who is not currently an officer of the local authority to give evidence but could not require them to do so under Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill. Alternatively, the overview and scrutiny committee could decide that for the purposes of addressing the concerns raised by the petition, it would be more appropriate for another officer to attend before it.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Lord Tope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they plan to issue to local authorities on the steps they should take if an officer refuses to attend or to answer any questions when before an overview and scrutiny committee, as set out in Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill; and whether any such guidance will include the provision that the officer should or may be suspended and disciplinary action started.

Baroness Andrews: Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill builds on the existing practice whereby overview and scrutiny committees can require officers to attend a meeting of the committee to give evidence. Principal local authorities' existing procedures would therefore apply.
	Communities and Local Government is committed to working closely with the local government sector and other stakeholders to develop guidance to support principal local authorities to meet the petitions requirements set out in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill and in particular to identify the areas which the guidance should cover. The guidance will build on the views of respondents to the 2008 Local Petitions and Calls for Action consultation and the Communities in Control: Real People, Real Power: Improving Local Accountability consultation, and a draft will be made available for consultation.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a meeting of an overview and scrutiny committee that has been convened to hold an officer to account following receipt of a petition under Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill must be held in public; and, if not, on what grounds the press and public may be excluded.

Baroness Andrews: The openness of overview and scrutiny meetings is governed by Part 5A of the Local Government Act 1972, which permits overview and scrutiny meetings (or parts of meetings) to be held in private, if the matter is confidential (as defined in Section 100A(3) of the 1972 Act) or exempt (as defined in Section 100I of the 1972 Act). What counts as exempt information is contained in Schedule 12A to the 1972 Act. A resolution of the committee is needed to exclude the public from a hearing to consider exempt business.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill will apply to the bodies listed in Clause 20 of that Bill; and, if not, whether they have had discussions about extending the clause to apply to such bodies.

Baroness Andrews: Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill does not apply to the bodies listed in Clause 20. Clause 20 lists the categories of authority, besides principal councils, to which some form of petitions duty may be extended. This extension could include an obligation equivalent to that contained in Clause 16.
	Officials have had initial discussions with the National Association of Local Councils about extending a modified version of the petitions requirements to parish councils. The details of such an extension have not been discussed and would be informed by further consultation with the sector. The same process would be used should the Government seek to extend the petitions provisions to any of the other bodies listed in Clause 20.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consulted Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Ministers about Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill; if so, whether any written responses were received; and, if so, whether they will place such responses in the Library of the House.

Baroness Andrews: Clause 16 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill does not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland. The Legislative Consent Motion memorandum and the record of the National Assembly for Wales proceedings on the matter set out Welsh Ministers' support for the petitions provisions in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill extending to Wales. A copy of both documents will be placed in the House Library.

Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as reported in The Times on 23 February, Ministers have been asked to "advise on a moratorium on legislation and legislative announcements made but not yet implemented that will entail additional costs for businesses"; and, if so, whether any such moratorium includes the coastal access proposals in Part 9 of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government are constantly keeping their legislative programme and the impact on business under review but remain committed to implementing the provisions of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, including those on coastal access.

Multi-area Agreements

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the role of Ministers for the Regions in relation to multi-area agreements in their region.

Baroness Andrews: Regional Ministers play a key role in working with local authorities and key regional partners on the delivery of government objectives in the regions. In relation to MAAs there is no single model of engagement, but Regional Ministers are strongly supporting sub-regional collaboration and economic development through MAAs and other means.

Multi-area Agreements

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government which areas with multi-area agreements (MAA) have received visits by the Minister for their Region for discussions with the appropriate body consisting of representatives of the local authorities in the MAA, before or after the signing of the MAA.

Baroness Andrews: Regional Ministers have met or will meet representatives from local authorities from multi-area-agreement (MAA) areas as follows:
	The Minister for London will be having a meeting next week with representatives of five Olympic host boroughs to discuss their emerging Olympic MAA.
	The Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber had formal meetings with the leaders of the Leeds City Region and other members of the MAA partnership at Science City York, on 3 November 2008 and the Humber Economic Partnership Board on 10 November 2008.
	The Minister for the North West is undertaking a series of sub-regional discussions with local authority leaders and chief executives on local area agreements, MAAs and sub-regional governance. So far meetings in Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester have taken place and arrangements are in hand for Lancashire and Cumbria.
	The Minister for the East Midlands met Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils on 20 March 2008 to discuss their plans for a proposed MAA.
	The West Midlands does not have any MAAs but there are currently two MAA proposals in the region. The Minister for West Midlands has discussed their MAA proposals with representatives of the Birmingham City Region, both before and after submission of their scheme. He will be meeting Black Country local authority leaders and chief executives later this month with one of the items for discussion being their plans for an MAA.
	The Minister for the South East visited PUSH, the Portsmouth and Urban South Hampshire MAA area on 15 October 2007 and attended the MAA signing ceremony on 14 July 2008.
	The Regional Ministers for the North West, London, East Midlands and South East attended the national MAA signing event hosted by the Prime Minister on 12 January 2009.

NHS: Infection Control

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress is being made to combat healthcare associated infections in National Health Service hospitals.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The National Health Service has substantially reduced the number of meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile cases.
	Latest data published by the Health Protection Agency for October to December 2008 show a reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections of 38 per cent from the corresponding quarter in 2007 and down 65 per cent from the 2003-04 quarterly average, (the baseline from which our target to halve the number of MRSA bloodstream infections is measured). The National Health Service delivered this target of halving MRSA bloodstream infections by the end of 2007-08. We are now committed to sustaining the reductions achieved so far and continuing to drive down infections still further.
	There has also been a significant reduction in the number of Clostridium difficile cases, with the latest data for July to September 2008 (England) showing a 33 per cent reduction in infections in patients aged two and over compared with the same quarter in 2007.
	The department's strategy for reducing healthcare-associated infections in the NHS is set out in Clean, Safe Care, which has already been placed in the Library. This outlines the comprehensive range of measures being employed, backed by £270 million additional investment per year by 2010-11 to tackle healthcare-associated infections.

Northern Ireland Office: Bonuses

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 16 March (WA 7) regarding staff bonuses for the Northern Ireland Office, how much funding for bonuses was unused in each of the past five years; and how much was returned unspent.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Funding for bonuses has been fully used in each of the past five years.

Northern Ireland Office: Bonuses

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 28 January (WA 62) and 17 March (WA 26) concerning the payment of bonuses to officials of the Northern Ireland Office, why the non-consolidated performance element of pay for staff at grades D2 to A is less than one-seventeenth of that for the senior Civil Service.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is nothing further I can add to the Answer given on 17 March (Official Report, col. WA 26).

Northern Ireland Office: Taxis

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 24 February (WA 62) concerning the cost of taxis for the Northern Ireland Office, why, in order to obtain the expenditure on taxis in the first two weeks of the 2007—08 financial year, a manual investigation of all travel and subsistence claims since that two-week period would be required.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 24 February (WA 62) concerning the cost of taxis for the Northern Ireland Office in the first two weeks of the 2007—08 financial year, who calculated that the cost would be disproportionate; and how.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: As staff expenses are reclaimed retrospectively it would only be possible to identify journeys relating to this particular two-week period by carrying out checks on all claims submitted both within this period and afterwards. Staff are advised that travel claims should be submitted at no more than three-monthly intervals. The Northern Ireland Office processed 4,814 travel and subsistence claims during the 2007-08 financial year so, assuming that all taxi journeys were reclaimed within three months, this would involve a manual investigation of over 1,000 individual claim forms.
	The calculation on disproportionate cost was made by the Northern Ireland Office's Financial Services Division based on the number of travel claims that would need to be investigated.

Northern Ireland: Equality Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria are used by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in appointing people to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: In making appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland the Secretary of State has an obligation under Section 73(4) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to, as far as is practicable, secure that the commissioners, as a group, are representative of the community in Northern Ireland.
	In the most recent public appointments process in 2008, all candidates were assessed against the following published criteria: collective responsibility and accountability, knowledge and expertise, judgement and decision-making, and strategic thinking and vision. Candidates for the position of deputy chief commissioner were also assessed on responsibility and leadership.
	All appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland are made in line with guidance from the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding has been provided to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in the current financial year; how much it requested; and whether they are considering the future funding of the commission.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Allocation of funding to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is based on the commission's forecast outgoings and is reviewed in conjunction with the commission during the financial year.
	On the basis of initial forecasts, the commission was allocated an annual budget of £1.652 million for 2008-09. This budget was reviewed during the financial year and adjusted to reflect financial pressures arising during the year. The commission was allocated total funds of £1.744 million for the 2008-09 financial year.
	The commission's annual expenditure is published each year in its annual report and accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library of both Houses. Budgets for all NIO-sponsored bodies are kept under review throughout the financial year and will continue to be kept under review in the future.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what religions and faiths are officially recognised by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, which operates independently of government. The noble Lord may wish to write to the commission directly.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the remit of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission allows it to fund a staff member obtaining a qualification.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is nothing further I can add to the Answer given on 26 February 2009 (Official Report, col. WA 104).

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether when they respond to the report of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission they will also respond to the minority reports.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government are currently considering the commission's advice and plans to consult publicly on its response. We recognise that there is a diversity of opinion on the issues covered in the advice. Issues raised by those commissioners who dissented from the advice will be given due consideration in formulating the Government's response.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House all documents, including notes of relevant conversations, regarding the appointment of the chairman of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I will write to the noble Lord and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Palestine

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the arrest on 19 March by Israeli Defence Forces in Palestinian occupied territories of five elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and other Palestinian academics and leaders.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The UK, along with the international community, wants to see a lasting political solution to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. We do not think that arresting the Hamas political leadership in the West Bank is a positive step.

Palestine

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the arrests on 19 March by Israel Defence Forces in Palestinian occupied territory included Dr Nasser al-Shaer, recently Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education for the Palestinian National Authority; and, if so, whether international law is being upheld in that case.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We are aware that a number of Hamas politicians were arrested on 19 March 2009; they included Dr Nasser al-Shaer.
	What we and the rest of the world want to see is a lasting political solution to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. We do not think that arresting the Hamas political leadership in the West Bank is a positive step.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what "senior management" means in the terms and conditions of the Number 10 Downing Street e-petition scheme; and whether any petitions have been accepted that relate to "senior management".

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: "Senior management" refers to Ministers, heads of government agencies and individuals in senior positions within public bodies.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (WA 10) and Lord Young of Norwood Green (WA 10-11) on 16 March, what Whitehall standards they refer to; where those standards are set out; who agreed the standards; and when.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Paragraph 8 of the Cabinet Office guidance Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments, published in July 2005, states that:
	"All departments should set targets for replying to correspondence from MPs. These targets (which may be different to the targets set for other types of correspondence) will be published in the annual correspondence report coordinated by the Cabinet Office. Individual departments' targets for routine correspondence from MPs should be a maximum of 20 working days. Departments should consider setting themselves more challenging targets. When calculating the target date for reply, the clock should start the day after (day 1) the correspondence was received".
	An annual report to Parliament monitors the performance of departments and agencies and is published on the Cabinet Office website.

Places of Religious Worship

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 25 February (WA 91) regarding faith denominations whose places of meeting for religious worship have been certified by the Registrar General, which faith denominations are referred to as "other".

Lord West of Spithead: The Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 provides for a place of meeting for religious worship to be certified to the Registrar-General. The form for certification in Schedule A to the Act is to be signed as certifier by a minister, proprietor, trustee, occupier, attendant or such other words as will clearly show his or her connection with the place of meeting. On that form, the certifier inserts the religious denomination of, or religious appellation adopted by, the persons on whose behalf the building is certified. If those persons decline to describe themselves by any distinctive appellation, the certifier inserts "who object to be designated by any distinctive religious appellation".
	When considering the registration of a building which has been certified as a place of religious worship, the Registrar-General applies the judgment by the Court of Appeal in the Segerdal case. The main finding in the judgment is that the words "place of meeting for religious worship" in the Act connote a place of which the principal use is for people to come together as a congregation to worship God or do reverence to a deity. The 1855 Act does not apply to the Church of England and the Church in Wales but the building of any other faith or denomination which meets these criteria would be capable of registration, regardless of what the congregation call themselves.
	In the Answer to WA 91, the Registrar-General categorised as "other" any denomination where there were less than 150 places of worship certified at that time which included the following:
	Hindus
	Undenominational
	Buddhists of the New Adampa Traditional
	Baha'is
	Subud Britain
	Valmiks
	Followers of Guru Das
	Nirankaries
	Ravidasia
	Aetherius Society
	Devotees of Krishna
	Friends of western Buddhist Order
	Antiochian Orthodox
	Congregation of Yahweh
	Das Dharam
	Gujarati
	Shree Swaminarayan Siddhant Sajivan Mandal
	Shri Guru Ravidasia Community
	Theosophists
	Ukraine Autocephalic
	Universal Order of Thios
	Unsectarian
	Valmiks
	Who Object To Be Designated By Any Distinctive Appellation
	Zen Buddhists
	Buddhists
	Zoroastrians
	Brahma Kumaris
	Jains
	Universal Confluence of Yoga and Vedanta Luminar
	Manjushri
	Nirankaries
	Raman
	Ramgarhia
	Radhan Soami Sagsang Beas-British Isles
	Sant Mat
	Sathya Sai Baha Devottes
	Sufis
	Sukyo Mahikari
	Swaminarayans
	Zen
	Anoopam
	Kshatryna Sabna London Bhagat Namdev Mission
	Maktar Tarighat Ovesyi Shamagh Soudi
	Navnat Vanit
	Anjuman-E-Mohibban-E-Ahlalbait
	Antiochian Orthodox Church
	Byelorussion Autocephalic Orthodox
	Disciples of Baba Gobind Daa Ji
	Eikoko Iesu No Mitama Kyokai
	Ekniwas

Police: Race and Gender

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 5 March (WA 185), how local communities are involved in the setting of race and gender targets for each police authority; and what is the basis for determining who should be involved from the local communities.

Lord West of Spithead: The Association of Police Authorities (APA) provides guidance to police authorities on the options available for consulting local communities across the range of authorities' work, including the setting of local equality and diversity targets. The scope of this guidance includes making contact with particular community groups. The consultation methods used and the specific community groups involved are determined by police authorities, as best required to meet the particular local circumstances.
	Examples of such guidance to police authorities can be found on the APA website at www.apa.police.uk.

Questions for Written Answer: Unanswered Questions

Lord Laird: To ask the Leader of the House when the Government will answer the Written Questions HL921 and HL966, tabled on 21 January and 22 January respectively.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Question HL921 was answered on 18 March (Official Report, col. WA 51). We intend to answer Question HL966 before the Easter Recess.

Railways: Intercity Trains

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government with reference to the Intercity Express Programme's mixed diesel and electric trains, under what combinations of speed and acceleration it is planned that the diesel engine would be used to supplement the power available from the catenary.

Lord Adonis: Use of the diesel engine on long bi-mode trains depends upon a number of factors. Under the wires, the bi-mode train will move away from each station using only electric power. Above a certain speed, and dependent on gradients, the diesel engine will be used to top up the power available from the catenary either if high acceleration is required by the schedule, or to recover from delay.

Schools: Admissions

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they propose to improve the chances of children gaining entry into their first choice of secondary school.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: For September 2009 entry, 83.2 per cent of parents secured a place at their first choice of school, and 96.2 per cent secured a school they preferred. This compares to 82 per cent and 94.5 per cent respectively for last year.
	The Government are clear that admissions must be fairly administered, and have recently taken steps to improve the framework in which this system operates. The Government are also committed to making every school a good school, and we are driving forward progress through the national challenge and our accelerated academies programme. Compared to a decade ago, over 78,000 more children leave school with five good GCSEs, including English and maths. The number of schools below our basic benchmark of at least 30 per cent of pupils achieving at least five good GCSE including English and maths has been reduced from over 1,600 in 1997 to 440 today, on the road to zero by 2011.
	A minority of parents may not get their first choice of school, because some schools will always remain popular with parents. But this does not mean the school they do get cannot meet their child's needs. The Government are clear on their support for schools to increase their capacity to meet children's needs and provide a rich framework for their future development.

Schools: Sport

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the drop-out rate of 16 to 18 year olds from school sports each year.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The national strategy for PE and sport was introduced in 2003 and has increased the percentage of 5 to 16 year-olds taking part in at least two hours of high quality PE and sport each week from 62 per cent in 2003 to 90 per cent in 2008.
	We now want to build on this success and provide five hours of sport for all 5 to 16 year-olds and up to three hours of sport for all 16 to 19 year-olds.
	Pupils over 16 years of age, and still in school, will benefit from the additional sporting opportunities provided by schools and School Sport Partnerships.
	Sporting opportunities for young people in further education will be provided by a new network of FE sport co-ordinators (FESCos) in every FE college. These FESCos will link to the existing network of School Sport Partnerships and provide sporting opportunities for all students in FE colleges.
	Young people aged 16 to 19 who currently do not participate in sport beyond school will receive more sporting opportunities through Sport England's Sport Unlimited programme. This aims to provide a wider range of different and attractive activities that are more closely suited to the needs of young people.

Smoking

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest figures for the number of men and women who died from diseases they describe as smoking-related; how many of those were smokers of tobacco; and how many were aged (a) 35—54, (b) 55—64, (c) 65—74, and (d) over 75.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
	Smoking status is not recorded on the death certificate, therefore it is impossible to say how many people who died from smoking-related diseases were smokers of tobacco.
	Estimates of deaths attributable to smoking are based on three pieces of information:
	estimates of smoking prevalence of both current cigarette smokers and ex-smokers, taken from the General Household Survey ;relative risks of death for both smokers and ex-smokers for diseases known to be associated with smoking as published in Statistics on smoking, England 2008 and presented here in table 2; andobserved numbers of deaths from those diseases, which can be caused by smoking.
	Table 1 shows the number of all deaths from diseases that can be caused by smoking, the number of deaths that are deemed to be attributable to smoking and the proportion of deaths from smoking-related diseases that can be attributed to smoking, for all adults aged 35 and over and for ages 35 to 54, 55 to 64, 65 to 74 and 75 and over.
	Table 2 gives the relative risks of dying from each of the diseases that are deemed to be attributable to smoking for current and ex-smokers (relative to the risk of dying from those diseases for non-smokers).
	
		
			 Table 1 Deaths among adults aged 35 and over from diseases that can be caused in part by smoking, by gender and age, 2007 
			 England Numbers/Per cent 
			  35 and over 35-54 55-64 65-74 75 and over 
			 All diseases caused in part by smoking 
			 Observed number of deaths 
			 Men 133,291 7,083 15,565 28,884 81,759 
			 Women 133,889 3,702 7,904 17,586 104,697 
			 Deaths attributable to smoking 
			 Men 49,700 3,600 7,800 12,600 25,700 
			 Women 32,700 1,600 3,500 6,600 20,900 
			 Percentage of deaths attributable to smoking 
			 Men 37 51 50 44 31 
			 Women 24 44 45 38 20 
		
	
	Source:
	Mortality Statistics extract (Registered deaths in 2007). Office for National Statistics (ONS)
	General Household Survey, 2007. Office for National Statistics (ONS)
	Statistics on smoking, England 2008. The NHS Information Centre
	
		
			 Table 2 Relative risks 1 for fatal diseases for current and ex-smokers, by gender 
			Male smokers  Female smokers  
			 Diseases that can be caused by smoking ICD-10 code Age Current Ex Current Ex 
			 Malignant Neoplasms 
			 Lip, Oral Cavity, Pharynx C00-C14 35+ 10.89 3.40 5.08 2.29 
			 Oesophagus C15 35+ 6.76 4.46 7.75 2.79 
			 Stomach C16 35+ 1.96 1.47 1.36 1.32 
			 Pancreas C25 35+ 2.31 1.15 2.25 1.55 
			 Larynx C32 35+ 14.60 6.34 13.02 5.16 
			 Trachea, Lung, Bronchus C33-C34 35+ 23.26 8.70 12.69 4.53 
			 Cervix Uteri C53 35+ 1.00 1.00 1.59 1.14 
			 Kidney and Renal Pelvis 2 C64-C65, C66, C68 35+ 2.50 1.70 1.40 1.10 
			 Urinary Bladder C67 35+ 3.27 2.09 2.22 1.89 
			 Malignant neoplasm without specification of site 2 C80 35+ 4.40 2.50 2.20 1.30 
			 Myeloid Leukemia 2 C92 35+ 1.80 1.40 1.20 1.30 
			 Cardiovascular Diseases 
			 Ischemic Heart Disease 2 120-125 35-54 4.20 2.00 5.30 2.60 
			   55-64 2.50 1.60 2.80 1.10 
			   65-74 1.80 1.30 2.10 1.20 
			   75+ 1.40 1.10 1.40 1.20 
			 Other Heart Disease 100-109, 126-151  1.78 1.22 1.49 1.14 
			 Cerebrovascular Disease 2 160-169 35-54 4.40 1.10 5.40 1.30 
			   55-64 3.10 1.10 3.70 1.30 
			   65-74 2.20 1.10 2.60 1.30 
			   75+ 1.60 1.10 1.30 1.00 
			 Atherosclerosis 170 35+ 2.44 1.33 1.83 1.00 
			 Aortic Aneurysm 171 35+ 6.21 3.07 7.07 2.07 
			 Other Arterial Diseases 172-178 35+ 2.07 1.01 2.17 1.12 
			 Respiratory Diseases 
			 Pneumonia, Influenza 2 J10-J18 35-64 2.50 1.40 4.30 1.10 
			   65+ 2.00 1.40 2.20 1.10 
			 Bronchitis, Emphysema J40-J42, J43 35+ 17.10 15.64 12.04 11.77 
			 Chronic Airway Obstruction J44 35+ 10.58 6.80 13.08 6.78 
			 Stomach ulcer, Duodenal ulcer K25-K27 35+ 5.40 1.80 5.50 1.40 
		
	
	1. Based on CPS-11 1982-88 figures, taken from CHP2007 / SAMMEC I USDHHS2004 unless stated
	2. Based on CPS-II 1982-88 data, taken from UK Smoking Epidemic (1998)
	Source:
	Health Profile of England 2007, Department of Health
	Copyright © 2008, re-used with the permission of the Department of Health

Smoking

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the proportion of deaths from diseases they describe as smoking-related to total deaths from all causes.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Estimates of deaths attributable to smoking are based on three pieces of information:
	estimates of smoking prevalence of both current cigarette smokers and ex-smokers, taken from the General Household Survey;relative risks of death for both smokers and ex-smokers for diseases known to be associated with smoking as published in Statistics on smoking, England 2008 and presented here in table 2; andobserved numbers of deaths from those diseases, which can be caused by smoking.
	Table 1 shows the number of all deaths from all diseases, the number of deaths that are deemed to be attributable to smoking and the proportion of deaths from all diseases that can be attributed to smoking for adults aged 35 and over.
	Table 2 gives the relative risks of dying from each of the diseases that are deemed to be attributable to smoking for current and ex-smokers (relative to the risk of dying from those diseases for non-smokers).
	
		
			 Table 1 Deaths among adults aged 35 and over from all diseases and diseases that can be caused by smoking by gender, 2007 
			 England   Numbers/Per cent 
			  All adults Men Women 
			 Observed deaths from all diseases 459,629 217,352 242,277 
			 Observed Deaths attributable to smoking 82,400 49,700 32,700 
			 Percentage of all deaths attributable to smoking 18 23 13 
		
	
	Source:
	Mortality Statistics extract (Registered deaths in 2007). Office for National Statistics (ONS)
	General Household Survey, 2007. Office for National Statistics (ONS)
	Statistics on smoking, England 2008. The NHS Information Centre
	
		
			 Table 2 Relative risks 1 for fatal diseases for current and ex smokers, by gender 
			Male smokers  Female smokers  
			 Diseases that can be caused by smoking ICD-10 code Age Current Ex Current Ex 
			 Malignant Neoplasms 
			 Lip, Oral Cavity, Pharynx C00-C14 35+ 10.89 3.40 5.08 2.29 
			 Oesophagus C15 35+ 6.76 4.46 7.75 2.79 
			 Stomach C16 35+ 1.96 1.47 1.36 1.32 
			 Pancreas C25 35+ 2.31 1.15 2.25 1.55 
			 Larynx C32 35+ 14.60 6.34 13.02 5.16 
			 Trachea, Lung, Bronchus C33-C34 35+ 23.26 8.70 12.69 4.53 
			 Cervix Uteri C53 35+ 1.00 1.00 1.59 1.14 
			 Kidney and Renal Pelvis2 C64-C65, C66, C68 35+ 2.50 1.70 1.40 1.10 
			 Urinary Bladder C67 35+ 3.27 2.09 2.22 1.89 
			 Malignant neoplasm without specification of site 2 C80 35+ 4.40 2.50 2.20 1.30 
			 Myeloid Leukemia 2 C92 35+ 1.80 1.40 1.20 1.30 
			 Cardiovascular Diseases 
			 Ischemic Heart Disease 2 120-125 35-54 4.20 2.00 5.30 2.60 
			   55-64 2.50 1.60 2.80 1,10 
			   65-74 1.80 1.30 2.10 1.20 
			   75+ 1.40 1.10 1.40 1.20 
			 Other Heart Disease 100-109,126-151  1.78 1.22 1.49 1.14 
			 Cerebro-vascular Disease 2 160-169 35-54 4.40 1.10 5.40 1.30 
			   55-64 3.10 1.10 3.70 1.30 
			   65-74 2.20 1,10 2.60 1.30 
			   75+ 1.60 1.10 1.30 1.00 
			 Atherosclerosis 170 35+ 2.44 1.33 1.83 1.00 
			 Aortic Aneurysm 171 35+ 6.21 3.07 7.07 2.07 
			 Other Arterial Diseases 172-178 35+ 2.07 1.01 2.17 1.12 
			 Respiratory Diseases 
			 Pneumonia, Influenza 2 J10-J18 35-64 2.50 1.40 4.30 1.10 
			   65+ 2.00 1.40 2.20 1.10 
			 Bronchitis, Emphysema J40-J42, J43 35+ 17.10 15.64 12.04 11.77 
			 Chronic Airway Obstruction J44 35+ 10.58 6.80 13.08 6.78 
			 Stomach ulcer, Duodenal ulcer K25-K27 35+ 5.40 1.80 5.50 1.40 
		
	
	1. Based on CPS-11 1982-88 figures, taken from CHP2007/ SAMMEC/USDHHS2004 unless stated
	2. Based on CPS-II 1982-88 data, taken from UK Smoking Epidemic (1998)
	Source:
	Health Profile of England 2007, Department of Health
	Copyright © 2008, re-used with the permission of the Department of Health

Sport: Academies

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 23 February (WA 29), what are the seven academies in London with a sports specialism.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: There are seven academies in London with sports as the main specialism. These are:
	Capital City Academy;Evelyn Grace Academy;Harefield Academy;Harris Academy, Merton;Harris Girls Academy, East Dulwich;St Paul's Academy; and the West London Academy.
	In addition, there are a further three academies in London with sports as a second specialism. These are:
	City of London Southwark Academy;
	Haberdashers' Knights Academy; and
	Harris Falconwood Academy.

Sport: Academies

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 23 February (WA 29), what are the names of the 17 academies in London with new or refurbished buildings.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: There are 24 academies in London with new or refurbished buildings as stated in the written reply of 23 February. These are:
	Ashcroft Technology Academy;
	Bexley Business Academy;
	Bridge Academy, The;
	Capital City Academy;
	City of London Southwark Academy;
	Greig City Academy;
	Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Academy;
	Haberdashers' Knights Academy;
	Harefield Academy;
	Harris Academy, Peckham;
	Harris Academy South Norwood, The;
	Harris Bermondsey Academy;
	Lambeth Academy;
	London Academy;
	Mossbourne Community Academy;
	Oasis Academy, Enfield;
	Paddington Academy;
	Petchey Academy, The;
	Saint Mary Magdalene Academy;
	St Matthew Academy, The;
	Stockley Academy;
	Walthamstow Academy;
	West London Academy, The;
	Westminster Academy.

Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the Government of Sudan about the closure of the Sudan Social Development Organization, the Amel Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Development; and, if so, with what results.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We are gravely concerned about the expulsion of thirteen international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the closure of Sudan Social Development Organisation, the Amel Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Development. The EU statement issued on 10 March 2009 specifically mentions the local NGOs and calls on the Government of Sudan to reconsider their decision.
	Our embassy in Khartoum is working closely with other embassies and the UN to ensure the situation of the local NGOs continues to be raised. A working group, including the UN Mission in Sudan, African Union/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, is currently being set up in Khartoum to monitor the situation. To date, there has been no indication that the Government of Sudan will reverse their decision and allow the three local organisations to continue operating in Sudan.

Syria

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their relations with Syria have altered as a result of recent visits by ministers and parliamentarians.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The UK has recently stepped up engagement with Syria, culminating with my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary's visit to Syria in November 2008. This has aimed to encourage Syria to be a force for stability in the region, in particular through working with Lebanon for stability; having indirect talks with Israel; backing the Arab peace initiative; improving relationships with Arab partners; tackling foreign fighters on its border with Iraq; working with Iran to stop finance and arms supply to Hezbollah; and working to counter terrorism.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take with regard to individuals in the Turks and Caicos Islands who are alleged to have been involved in corrupt activities.

Lord Malloch-Brown: I refer the noble Lord to the Statement about the Turks and Caicos Islands that my honourable friend Gillian Merron, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, made to the House of Commons on 16 March 2009, Official Report, col. 39WS. The interim report from the commission of inquiry (www.tci-inquiry.org) addresses systems and institutions. No evidence in respect of any individual has yet been presented by the commission recommending action. We do not underestimate the seriousness of the situation, and have taken steps to establish the asset recovery structures recommended by the commissioner in the interim report.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands played in the creation of the situation which led to the suspension of the constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Lord Malloch-Brown: In July 2008 the then Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands appointed a commission of inquiry in the light of the allegations and other indications of possible corruption or other serious dishonesty in relation to elected members of the House of Assembly which he had received and which had been brought to his attention over a period of time both in oral and in written form. He concluded that there existed a matter of public importance requiring the appointment of this commission of inquiry.
	The commission of inquiry's interim report (available at www.tci-inquiry.org), received by the governor on 28 February 2009, supports the view that the governor's decision to appoint a commission of inquiry was well founded.
	I refer the noble Lord to the Statement about the Turks and Caicos Islands that my honourable friend Gillian Merron, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, made to the House of Commons on 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 39WS.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider the early reintroduction of an elected Government in the Turks and Caicos Islands, on the conditions that an independent commission would determine the terms and conditions of service, mechanisms for disciplining legislators and the scope of legislation to ensure integrity and standards in public office.

Lord Malloch-Brown: I refer the noble Lord to the Statement about the Turks and Caicos Islands made by my honourable friend Gillian Merron, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, to the House of Commons on 16 March 2009, Official Report, Commons, col. 39WS.
	The Order in Council, as drafted, provides for a two-year interim period, which can be shortened or lengthened as necessary, but would last no longer than it takes for the necessary reforms to be implemented. We hope it would be possible to hold elections in early 2011 as currently scheduled, if not before.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering suspending the constitution of any British Overseas Territory other than the Turks and Caicos Islands; and, if so, whether they would only suspend a constitution following an independent commission of inquiry or consultation with the government and people of the Overseas Territory.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Government have no current plans to suspend the constitutions of any other overseas territories.

Universities: Palestinian Students

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Palestinian students from (a) Gaza, and (b) the West Bank, are studying in British universities.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data for 2007-08, the most recent year for which data are available, indicate that there were 615 students from Israel studying at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. Comprehensive data are not available on the nationality of students. Data are collected on student domicile but are not broken down below country level, so it not possible to identify the numbers of students from Gaza and the West Bank studying in the UK.

Universities: Palestinian Students

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have offered any scholarships for Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank to study in British universities; and, if so, how many for (a) Gaza, and (b) the West Bank.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: Her Majesty's Government awards scholarships to Palestinian students mainly through the Chevening Scholarship programme and the Chevening Fellowship programme, which is administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Data held do not identify if they are from Gaza or the West Bank.
	
		
			 2002-03 10 scholars 0 fellows 
			 2003-04 10 0 
			 2004-05 8 0 
			 2005-06 15 0 
			 2006-07 20 0 
			 2007-08 10 3 
			 2008-09 6 2 
		
	
	One Palestinian student also participated in the Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards (DHPA) scheme in 2008 and two scholars from West Bank universities participated in a Research Council-funded visiting fellowship programme in 2006-07. Data are not available on whether the DHPA student was from Gaza or the West Bank.

Universities: Palestinian Students

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are any twinning or collaboration arrangements between British universities and Palestinian universities; and, if so, which universities from (a) Gaza, and (b) the West Bank, are involved.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: The Government do not have comprehensive information on the collaborative activities of British universities with partner organisations overseas. They are free to develop such arrangements as they see fit and many do so without any kind of publicity. However, I am aware that a number of British universities are working with their counterparts in Gaza and the West Bank, including:
	University of Cambridge and Al Quds University and University of Berzeit;the University of Glasgow and the University of Berzeit and the University of Hebron; and the University of Nottingham and the Islamic University in Gaza.

Waste Management: Household Bins

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 12 February (WA 248), in what circumstances a road traffic or pedestrian accident caused by the positioning of a household waste bin in accordance with instructions from an agent of the local council would be the liability of the householder.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The placement of a household waste bin would depend on all the circumstances. Liability would be decided according to the common-law rules of negligence and/or nuisance and a right of action may exist against a local authority and/or a householder, depending on all the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Waterways: Ecology Status Targets

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they require all water bodies in England and Wales to achieve the ecology status targets set by the European Union Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) by 2015, for all inland, estuarial and coastal waters.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Environment Agency published draft river basin management plans for a six-month consultation on 22 December 2008. These draft plans contain programmes of measures to protect and improve the quality of all water bodies (inland, estuarial and coastal) in England and Wales by 2015. The measures in the draft plans will take 28 per cent of water bodies in England and Wales to good ecological status by 2015.
	The water framework directive allows member states to extend deadlines to meet good ecological status, or to set a less stringent objective if it is disproportionately costly or technically infeasible to meet the targets by 2015. The directive prescribes two further six-year planning cycles, ending in 2021 and 2027.
	The Environment Agency is using the consultation period to increase the ambition of the plans and is calling on stakeholders to help do more, and to help define the evidence base for further action. We and the agency wish this to result, by the time the plans are finalised in December 2009, in a higher level of ambition in relation to what can be achieved at proportionate cost by 2015, and a clearer vision of what we aim to achieve by 2021 and 2027. An important part of the first cycle will be further monitoring to ensure that action and expenditure is targeted where it will have the biggest impact.

West Bank

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what remedy exists under international law to remove any illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Lord Malloch-Brown: In its Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2004), the International Court of Justice concluded that,
	"the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (including East Jerusalem) have been established in breach of international law",
	). International law requires Israel to cease settlement activity that is in breach of international law and to make reparation. Israeli settlement activity is also in contravention of Israel's obligations under the road map agreement of April 2003. It clearly sets out the steps the Palestinian Authority and Israel need to implement to achieve a negotiated settlement. Both sides have accepted the road map.
	The Government have raised the issue with the Israeli Government on many occasions. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary voiced strong opposition to illegal Israeli settlements during his visit to the region on 16 to 19 November 2008.